System and method for multi-dimensional organization, management, and manipulation of remote data

• US 8,434,027 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Matrix Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Quantum Matrix Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Jones, Dennis Benson
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US12/435,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 715/765, 715/839, 715848-852, 715/854, 715/836, 715/837, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

The Quantum Matrix system is a multi-dimensional, multi-threaded exchange environment for data organization, management, and manipulation. Data is organized into a multi-dimensional structure of nodes. Nodes may represent data, absence of data, or another set of nodes. The multi-dimensional structure or portions of it can be automatically created from a file system. One or more associations are also defined for the multi-dimensional structure. An association indicates a relationship between a node and another node, data, or a set of nodes. The multi-dimensional structure is then displayed three-dimensionally and navigated. Relational logic, Boolean algebra, or a scripting language can be applied to the nodes, data, and associations to produce a resultant set of nodes. Furthermore, portions of the multi-dimensional structure can be isolated with the use of planes to ease navigation. Furthermore, the Quantum Matrix system may have a client-server architecture, with the client running on a mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for accessing data visually comprising:

(a) accessing data representing at least a portion of a first three-dimensional cubic structure including a first plurality of nodes, wherein each node in the first plurality of nodes represents one of a data, an absence of data, and another plurality of nodes and, wherein each node in the first three-dimensional cubic structure has a three-dimensional coordinate defining a position within the first three-dimensional cubic structure;

(b) displaying, on a computing device, at least a portion of the first three-dimensional cubic structure in a three-dimensional space such that each node is displayed as a cubic structure at the position in the three-dimensional space defined by the node'"'"'s three-dimensional coordinate;

(c) receiving, on the computing device, a rotation input to rotate the first three-dimensional cubic structure around an x, y, and z axis;

(d) in response to receipt of the rotation input, rotating the first three-dimensional cubic structure as specified by the received rotation input to display different surfaces of the first three-dimensional cubic structure;

(e) receiving, on the computing device, a first node selection input specifying a first node included in the first three-dimensional cubic structure, the first node representing data;

(f) in response to receipt of the first node selection input, accessing the data represented by the first node specified by the first node selection input;

(g) receiving, on the computing device, a second node selection input specifying a second node included in the first three-dimensional cubic structure, the second node representing a second plurality of nodes; and

(h) in response to receipt of the second node selection input, displaying a second three-dimensional cubic structure including the second plurality of nodes, wherein each node in the second plurality of nodes;

(i) represents one of a data, an absence of data, and another plurality of nodes, (ii) has a three-dimensional coordinate defining a position within the second three-dimensional cubic structure, and (iii) is displayed as a cubic structure at the position within the second three-dimensional cubic structure defined by the node'"'"'s three-dimensional coordinate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving (e) comprises:

receiving, on the computing device, an operating system message that includes data representing the first node specified by the first node selection input from a message generator device;

generating, on the computing device, a user interface protocol message based on the operating system message; and

sending, on the computing device, at least a portion of the user interface protocol message to an application plug-in module, wherein the application plug-in module corresponds to a format of the first node'"'"'s data and implements a known interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the accessing (f) comprises using the application plug-in module to interpret the data corresponding to the selected first node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile device, and wherein the accessing (a) comprises receiving the data from a remote computing device having greater computing resources than the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving the data from the remote computing device comprises receiving the data from the remote computing device in response to a remote procedure call.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving the data from the remote computing device comprises receiving the data from the remote computing device via a web service.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the data received from the remote computing device comprises data received by the remote computing device from other data sources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional coordinate is able to define any location on the surface or within the interior of the three-dimensional space.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(i) receiving a navigational input to translate along an x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis in the three-dimensional space.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(i) receiving a mapping input indicating that a user has dragged and dropped a representation of a selected data onto a selected node; and

(j) in response to receipt of the mapping input, modifying the selected node to represent the selected data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected data is a selected application installed on the computing device, further comprising:

(k) displaying the modified node within the first three-dimensional cubic structure as a cube having an image representing the selected application mapped onto at least one of the cube'"'"'s surfaces.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving (e) comprises receiving the first node selection input to specify a node representing an application installed on the computing device;

and

wherein the accessing (f) comprises starting the application.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving (c) and the receiving (e) both comprise receiving a touch gesture of a touch screen of the computing device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(i) while the second three-dimensional cubic structure is displayed in (h), displaying a button that, when selected, enables navigation back to the first, previously displayed, three-dimensional cubic structure.

16. A system for accessing data visually, comprising:

a means for accessing data representing at least a portion of a first three-dimensional cubic structure including a first plurality of nodes, wherein each node in the first plurality of nodes represents one of a data, an absence of data, and another plurality of nodes and, wherein each node in the first three-dimensional cubic structure has a three-dimensional coordinate defining a position within the first three-dimensional cubic structure;

a means for displaying, on a computing device, at least a portion of the first three-dimensional cubic structure in a three-dimensional space such that each node is displayed as a cubic structure at the position in the three-dimensional space defined by the node'"'"'s three-dimensional coordinate;

a means for receiving, on the computing device, a rotation input to rotate the first three-dimensional cubic structure around an x, y, and z axis;

a means for, in response to receipt of the rotation input, rotating the first three-dimensional cubic structure as specified by the received rotation input to display different surfaces of the first three-dimensional cubic structure;

a means for receiving a first node selection input specifying a first node included in the first three-dimensional cubic structure, the first node representing data;

a means for, in response to receipt of the first node selection input, accessing the data represented by the first node specified by the first node selection input;

a means for receiving, on the computing device, a second node selection input specifying a second node included in the first three-dimensional cubic structure, the second node representing a second plurality of nodes; and

a means for, in response to receipt of the second node selection input, displaying a second three-dimensional cubic structure including the second plurality of nodes, wherein each node in the second plurality of nodes;

(i) represents one of a data, an absence of data, and another plurality of nodes, (ii) has a three-dimensional coordinate defining a position within the second three-dimensional cubic structure, and (iii) is displayed as a cubic structure at the position within the second three-dimensional cubic structure defined by the node'"'"'s three-dimensional coordinate.

17. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a processor, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform method steps for accessing data visually, said method steps comprising:

(a) accessing data representing at least a portion of a first three-dimensional cubic structure including a first plurality of nodes, wherein each node in the first plurality of nodes represents one of a data, an absence of data, and another plurality of nodes and, wherein each node in the first three-dimensional cubic structure has a three-dimensional coordinate defining a position within the first three-dimensional cubic structure;

(b) displaying, on a computing device, at least a portion of the first three-dimensional cubic structure in a three-dimensional space such that each node is displayed as a cubic structure at the position in the three-dimensional space defined by the node'"'"'s three-dimensional coordinate;

(c) receiving, on the computing device, a rotation input to rotate the first three-dimensional cubic structure around an x, y, and z axis;

(d) in response to receipt of the rotation input, rotating the first three-dimensional cubic structure as specified by the received rotation input to display different surfaces of the first three-dimensional cubic structure;

(e) receiving, on the computing device, a first node selection input specifying a first node included in the first three-dimensional cubic structure, the first node representing data; and

(f) in response to receipt of the first node selection input, accessing the data represented by the first node specified by the first node selection input;

(g) receiving, on the computing device, a second node selection input specifying a second node included in the first three-dimensional cubic structure, the second node representing a second plurality of nodes; and

(h) in response to receipt of the second node selection input, displaying a second three-dimensional cubic structure including the second plurality of node, wherein each node in the second plurality of nodes;

(i) represents one of a data, an absence of data, and another plurality of nodes, (ii) has a three-dimensional coordinate defining a position within the second three-dimensional cubic structure, and (iii) is displayed as a cubic at the position within the second three-dimensional cubic structure defined by the node'"'"'s three-dimensional coordinate.

18. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

19. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the receiving (e) comprises:

receiving, on the computing device, an operating system message that includes data representing the first node specified by the first node selection input from a message generator device;

generating, on the computing device, a user interface protocol message based on the operating system message; and

sending, on the computing device, at least a portion of the user interface protocol message to an application plug-in module, wherein the application plug-in module corresponds to a format of the first node'"'"'s data and implements a known interface.

20. The program storage device of claim 19, wherein the accessing (f) comprises using the application plug-in module to interpret the data corresponding to the selected first node.

21. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the computing device is a mobile device, and wherein the accessing (a) comprises receiving the data from a remote computing device having greater computing resources than the mobile device.

22. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the receiving the data from the remote computing device comprises receiving the data from the remote computing device in response to a remote procedure call.

23. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the receiving the data from the remote computing device comprises receiving the data from the remote computing device via a web service.

24. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the data received from the remote computing device comprises data received by the remote computing device from other data sources.

25. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the three-dimensional coordinate is able to define any location on the surface or within the interior of the three-dimensional space.

26. The program storage device of claim 17, further comprising:

(e) receiving a navigational input to translate along an x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis in the three-dimensional space.

27. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the receiving (c) and the receiving (e) both comprise receiving a touch gesture of a touch screen of the computing device.

28. The program storage device of claim 17, the method further comprising:

(i) receiving a mapping input indicating that a user has dragged and dropped a representation of a selected data onto a selected node; and

(j) in response to receipt of the mapping input, modifying the selected node to represent the selected data.

29. The program storage device of claim 28, wherein the selected data is a selected application installed on the computing device, the method further comprising:

(k) displaying the modified node within the first three-dimensional cubic structure as a cube having an image representing the selected application mapped onto at least one of the cube'"'"'s surfaces.